More than ever, Broadway is 'reflecting who we are' as Americans

The theater has long been a place where the nation goes to work through social tensions of the moment. Here's how Broadway holds a mirror to America.

NEW YORK ‒ There's something about Mary.

In Cole Escola's irreverent Tony Award-winning comedy "Oh, Mary!", the playwright reimagines first lady Mary Todd Lincoln as a demented drunkard with a song in her heart and a gay president in her bed chamber.

"She has fractured versions of dignity," quips John Cameron Mitchell, who currently portrays the brazen, bratty-curled heroine on Broadway.

But for all its madcap medleys and poison-laced punchlines, "Oh, Mary!" is actually one of the most subversive shows to hit the Main Stem in years. Since 2024, the production has tapped a revolving door of actors across genders and ethnicities to play consequential American icons, with stars including Jinkx Monsoon, Kumail Nanjiani, Tituss Burgess and Conrad Ricamora.

"I just love that it's a celebration of differences, no matter who steps into what role," says Simu Liu, a Chinese-Canadian actor and Marvel star making his Broadway debut as Mary's beefcake acting teacher. "It's almost like a subconscious message that diversity is good, and it's welcome and it's fresh."